There are many options available for women who decide to have a breast augmentation and therefore the more you know about the operation the better you will be able to make the decision that is best for you.

The breast is made up of glandular breast tissue and fat with varying amounts of each depending upon on age, weight and body shape. Surrounding these two components there is an envelope of skin which can vary in both thickness and tone. Lastly, the glandular ducts open onto your nipple which can vary greatly in its position in relation to the breast itself. The breast lies on the chest wall muscle that is called the pectoralis major which in itself can vary in size, shape and firmness.

There is almost always a difference between the two breasts in an individual woman.

Some women wish to increase the size of their breasts, others wish to reshape them which may have changed during pregnancy or with age and other women wish to correct a difference in size between the breasts (asymmetry). It is well documented in the medical literature that women undergoing breast augmentation can obtain great psychological and emotional benefit with enhanced self esteem and a more satisfying body image as a result of this operation. However, every woman’s decision is different. The motivation must come from you the patient, and your aspirations and expectations of breast augmentation should be conveyed to the surgeon. That is why all the details on the surgery should be discussed deeply with your surgeon.

The operation involves the insertion of a breast prosthesis which consists of soft or cohesive gel, silicone contained in a silicone bag. The implants are placed either behind or in front of the pectoralis major muscle which lies under the breast itself. In most of the cases the implants are placed in between the mammal gland and the muscle, only in a few situations like lack of enough breast tissue to cover the implants, the implants go under the muscle, this is to offer some coverage and disguise better the implants.

Breast augmentation does not interfere with breast-feeding and in most cases does not interfere with nipple sensation. It should not interfere with the diagnosis or treatment of any future breast disease, and there is no relation with silicone implants and breast cancer. Most women’s breasts are asymmetrical and we do our best to correct different degrees of asymmetries, sometimes using different implants sizes, but sometimes this cannot be completely corrected by the surgery.

The implants are placed using a small incision in the sub-mammary crease under the breast, this offers the easiest and safest access for the surgery. The areola access is not advisable, this is because chances are to produce various degrees of nipple loss sensation, inconspicuous scars and renders a much more difficult procedure, by forcing the surgeon to cross the whole mammal gland to reach the sub-glandular space, which produces much more trauma and bleeding.

The surgery itself takes about 1 hour, and is mostly performed under general anaesthetic,